Hall Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hall Johnson
Hall Johnson (1947) Photo by Carl Van Vechten
Background information
Birth name	Francis Hall Johnson
Born	(1888-03-12)March 12, 1888 Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Died	April 30, 1970(1970-04-30) (aged 82) New York City, U.S.
Genres	Spiritual music, classical
Occupation(s)	Composer, arranger, musician
Instruments	Violin, viola, piano

Bust of Hall Johnson

Hall Johnson (born March 12, 1888, died April 30, 1970) was an amazing American composer and arranger. He was famous for his work with African-American spiritual music. He was part of a group of talented artists, like Harry T. Burleigh and Eva Jessye, who helped make spirituals popular.

Early Life and Education

Hall Johnson was born on March 12, 1888, in Athens, Georgia. He was one of six children. His father, William Decker Johnson, was a bishop in the AME Church.

Hall got a great education. He went to several schools, including Allen University and the famous Juilliard School. He learned a lot about music there. His older sister taught him piano. He also taught himself to play the violin. He was inspired after hearing a concert by Joseph Henry Douglass, who was the grandson of Frederick Douglass.

Music Career

Hall Johnson started his professional music career in 1910. He played the violin and viola in many orchestras. He even played in the orchestra for the 1921 musical Shuffle Along. He also played with famous musicians like James Reese Europe and Will Marion Cook.

Poster for Hall Johnson's Run, Little Chillun in San Diego

Over time, Johnson became very interested in choral music. In 1925, he started his own group called the Hall Johnson Negro Choir. This choir quickly became very famous. They performed professionally for the first time in 1928.

Johnson and his choir became well-known for their work in the 1930 Broadway show The Green Pastures. They toured with the play across the country and even internationally. They also performed in radio versions and the 1936 film version of the play.

Hall Johnson's Works

Hall Johnson also arranged music and led his choir in over thirty Hollywood films. He worked on many short films and cartoons too. He wrote a play called Run, Little Chillun, which opened on Broadway in 1933. It was also performed in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

In 1937, the Hall Johnson Choir sang in the movies Lost Horizon and Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. They also appeared in Zenobia. In 1941, they were in another Disney film, Dumbo. They sang the song "When I See An Elephant Fly." Hall Johnson even voiced one of the crow characters, Deacon Crow!

Besides his work in theater and film, Johnson wrote an Easter cantata called Son of Man. It was first performed in New York in 1946. That same year, his choir sang in Disney's Song of the South. In 1951, the U.S. government chose the Hall Johnson Choir to represent the United States at a big arts festival in Berlin, Germany.

His Thoughts on Spirituals

Hall Johnson deeply understood spirituals. He said that this music came from a "divinely human longing for a perfect realization of life." He believed spirituals showed every kind of emotion without going too far. Even in sad parts, there was always hope. He felt that spirituals were always serious music and should be performed that way.

Johnson could speak both German and French. He also coached many famous singers, including Marian Anderson and Shirley Verrett. His arrangements of spirituals have been recorded by some of the best artists in the world.

Later Life and Death

Hall Johnson died at the age of 82 on April 30, 1970. He passed away during a fire at his apartment in New York.

Recognition and Legacy

Hall Johnson received many honors for his amazing work.

• In 1975, he was chosen for the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame for his contributions to movies.
• A bust (a sculpture of his head and shoulders) of Johnson was made in 1931. It was shown in a museum in Moscow and later bought by the Pushkin Museum.
• In 1934, the Philadelphia Academy of Music gave him an honorary doctorate degree.
• A photograph of Johnson, taken in 1960, is displayed in the National Portrait Gallery of the United States.
• In 2020, Hall Johnson was honored in his hometown of Athens, Georgia. He was one of the first ten people inducted into the Athens Music Walk of Fame. A special plaque on the sidewalk honors his career.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Hall Johnson para niños